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Breakdown of Ik wil uitleggen waarom de reis belangrijk is.
ik
I
zijn
to be
belangrijk
important
willen
to want
de reis
the trip
uitleggen
to explain
waarom
why
Questions & Answers about Ik wil uitleggen waarom de reis belangrijk is.
What does wil mean in this sentence?
In Dutch, wil generally translates to want in English. Here, it indicates the speaker’s desire or intention to do something—in this case, to explain.
Why do we say uitleggen instead of another verb like verklaren?
Both uitleggen and verklaren can mean to explain, but uitleggen often emphasizes giving a detailed or step-by-step explanation. Verklaren can sometimes have a slightly more formal or declarative tone, so uitleggen is a common choice in everyday speech when clarifying something in detail.
Why does the clause start with waarom and then place de reis belangrijk is at the end?
In Dutch subordinate clauses introduced by words like waarom (why), the finite verb (is) often ends up at the end of the clause. Dutch word order places this verb in the final position of the subordinate clause, explaining why belangrijk is comes at the end, rather than earlier in the sentence.
Why is it de reis instead of het reis?
In Dutch, reis (trip/journey) is a feminine noun that uses the article de. There’s no logical rule for every noun’s gender in Dutch; many simply must be memorized or picked up from context. De reis is the standard usage.
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